It is pretty clear to anyone paying attention that Eastern Conference supremacy will be a race between the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks in the 2025-26 NBA season. In their efforts to outpace the Cavs, the Knicks are tapping any and every line they possibly can.
Ian Begley reported that New York continues to circle around Ben Simmons as a target for their final veteran spot. This rumor has remained consistent throughout a large chunk of the 2025 offseason.
The Knicks insider wrote, "As of earlier this week, New York continued to show strong interest in signing Simmons as teams in on Simmons await his decision.
He’s garnered interest from several teams around the league."
Simmons is a former first overall pick, All-Star, and max player. What the oversized Australian hooper no longer represents is an option that will put anyone over the top.
Ben Simmons doesn't provide Knicks the desired edge over Cavaliers
Simmons has endured a tough journey through the NBA. Once hyped up as the next LeBron James, injuries and the mental toll that came with them hurt his once sky-high potential.
The former three-time All-Star had one of the healthier seasons of his career in 2024-25. Simmons played 51 games, splitting time between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers.
It was with the latter that an unfortunate truth was obvious for the 2017-18 Rookie of the Year. Simmons lacks enough left in the tank to be a genuinely impactful contributor for a contender. The Clippers gave him that shot, and nothing was made of it.
Simmons averaged 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game in 18 games coming off the Clippers' bench in the 2024-25 regular season. In the NBA Playoffs, the 29-year-old appeared in five games, with nothing much to really show for it.
Simmons only played 8.4 minutes per game in the first-round matchup against the Denver Nuggets. 0.8 points, 1.4 rebounds, 0.8 assists, and 2.2 fouls per game were what the veteran registered in his performances.
You can watch Ben Simmons play DHO and at least understand the interest Mike Brown may have in him. He’s really skilled at screening after delivering the hand off including flipping the screen. His ball handling also allows him to get to the DHO target against pressure. If… https://t.co/501z1N7tnU
— DJ Zullo (@DJAceNBA) July 31, 2025
The Knicks will obviously take all the depth they can get. Last year's team was overly reliant on their star-studded core for their playoff success. Granted, a big part of that was also having Tom Thibodeau as their head coach. Mike Brown should be different.
New York made a couple of intriguing acquisitions this offseason, adding the likes of Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson. However, no one in Cleveland will be losing sleep over the potential addition of Simmons any time soon.